Taliban blast kills Pakistani politician

By ISMAIL KHAN AND SALMAN MASOOD THE NEW YORK TIMES

Posted: December 23, 2012 at 2:16 a.m.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Saturday for a suicide bomb attack that killed a senior politician in northwest Pakistan who was one of the group’s most vocal critics. At least eight other people were killed in the attack and more than 15 others were wounded, senior government officials and doctors at a local hospital said.